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2025 Spring Practices

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Players to keep an eye on during OTAs

THEO-JOHNSON-BOBS

Phase Three of the Giants' Offseason Workout Program is right around the corner as Organized Team Activities (OTAs) kick off Tuesday.

The active roster will be able to participate in team drills, pinning the offense and defense against each other for the first time this offseason. Contact is not allowed during OTAs, which makes it tough to decipher how the offensive and defensive linemen are performing. But it does serve as a good opportunity for pass-catchers and defensive backs to show what they can do.

The 10 OTAs over the next three weeks will be followed by minicamp. The team will then break for the summer before reporting back for the start of training camp towards the end of July.

With all that said, here are players to watch during OTAs.

QB Russell Wilson

This will be the first time we get to watch Wilson participate in team drills and dish out a moonball or two. Having Wilson under center should help elevate the floor of the offense, and next week's OTA practices are the first time we get to see it in person. The same goes for former No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston.

QB Jaxson Dart

Wilson may take the first snaps under center, but of course, everyone will be watching the rookie quarterback in his first practice with his new teammates. Dart was the only draft pick to participate in 7-on-7 drills during rookie minicamp, and the 22-year-old looked sharp in those limited opportunities. But next week he will be throwing against experienced NFL veterans, which should offer a much bigger test than what he faced at rookie camp. He may not get many, if any, reps with the starting wide receivers this spring. Nonetheless, all eyes will be on the rookie during OTAs.

WR Jalin Hyatt

As I wrote about in this week's Fact or Fiction, Hyatt is the player that likely has the most to gain during these spring practices. After a rookie season that saw him flash some of what made him the 2022 Biletnikoff Award winner, Hyatt didn't do much last year as he finished with only eight receptions. As we know, one of Hyatt's biggest strengths is his ability to stretch the defense. He now has a quarterback that is known for his accuracy on passes downfield. Hyatt could be one of the biggest beneficiaries of Wilson's famous moonball, which could be on full display as early as next week.

TE Theo Johnson

After a bit of a slow start to his rookie campaign, Johnson started to pick things up around the midpoint of the season. Over his final five games, the rookie tight end finished with at least three receptions every week with no less than 35 yards in each contest, including two games with 50+ yards. He suffered a foot injury in Week 13 against the Cowboys, forcing him to miss the rest of the season, but the young tight end appears to be healthy and ready to go for spring practices.

"I'm doing really good right now, getting better every day," Johnson said last month at the beginning of the offseason workout program. "I like where I'm at right now. Yeah, I'm feeling good, really good right now."

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CB Paulson Adebo

Adebo was one of the team's biggest offseason acquisitions as they agreed to a deal with the veteran cornerback on the first day of the negotiating period. The 25-year-old cornerback has an impressive 10 interceptions over his first 52 games, with three of four seasons ending with at least three interceptions. The talented corner had three interceptions in just seven games last year before a broken leg sidelined him for the remainder of the year. Who wouldn't love to see him match up against Malik Nabers during team drills?

CB Deonte Banks

The 2023 first-round pick had his sophomore struggles, but he did register 12 pass breakups, beating his rookie mark of 11 and in one fewer game. With the addition of Adebo, along with the emergence of Dru Phillips in the slot, Banks should have less pressure to match up against the opposing team's No. 1 receiver on a weekly basis, which should help the young corner's development. This will be a big year for Banks and his growth, and he has the opportunity to get his third season off on a positive note with a strong performance during OTAs.

S Tyler Nubin

Nubin led the team in tackles prior to his season-ending injury in Week 14 and still finished second despite missing the final four games,. He was also particularly strong in the run game, but after a collegiate career that saw him pick off 12 passes in his final three seasons at Minnesota, Nubin did not register a single interception as a rookie. The second-year safety will now play alongside Jevón Holland, which should allow Nubin to move around the field a bit more freely. I expect Nubin's interception numbers to jump in Year 2, and it wouldn't surprise me if he's able to get his hands on a ball or two during these spring practices.

S Dane Belton

I mentioned Nubin and Holland, but I don't want anyone to forget about Belton, either. In his third season, Belton played a career-high 42 percent of the team's defensive snaps, which led to new career-high marks in total tackles (56) and passes defensed (six). Despite playing limited snaps over his first three seasons, Belton has been somewhat of a turnover machine with at least two forced turnovers each year and a total of nine for his career. The 24-year-old could carve out a nice role for himself with a strong showing leading up to Week 1. That opportunity begins next week, where he should get the chance to show how much he's grown heading into Year 4.

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